So what's next.....when you work in financial america in the latter half of the year ought eight, things get a little hectic; your dream like balance between holding down a real job, and living life like a wastoid fund waste-er becomes extremely threatened; you have to make some grown up like decisions. Thus....there's a little less foregoing paying the bills in favor of travel and racing, and like many others, have had to make some choices about why I got into this whole biking thing. My other passion, an oldie but a goodie, climbing, got me to a lot of places where I really tested myself, probably shouldn't have made it out, and came back changed. A mental, physcial and spiritual journey with people that I tied into, took 40 footers 1200ft up, shared sleeping bags with, felt close to and trusted.

Biking for the remainder of 2008 will be an effort to push those limits again, within a balance of responsibility, maturity, and moving forward, and return to life surrounded by those who can be trusted. I'm lucky enough to have two entire weeks off every month, but that doesn't always allow a bunch of racing. So I skipped a 12 hour race in CLT, partially because of the move, but also because lapping a 9 mile course didn't offer me what I want. I missed out on hanging with some good folks out there (one and two), but hope to put some time in with the two of them in Pisgah in the coming fall months. All apologies to both, and an open invite to a futon in front of a wood burning stove for the rest of the season.

Double Dare is on, something I'm really excited about and aligns with where I want my biking to go. The Rev is joining me from Dallas; overweight, old, out of shape, and blessed with the determination to continue one pedal stroke further that could only come from a fellow ex-mountaineer/climber. We are going to make it, we aren't going to win. I'm happy-as-hell with that prediction, and to spend that time suffering with a guy like Ben.

And that's it. I'm not going be able to make The Swank 65. Work is in the way. I'm not lining up a whole lot of CX racing unless it happens to fall into place. I have a small day pack, a lot of lite and fast gear from my aspiring alpinism, and plan on putting it to use this fall and winter. If I go missing for a few days, i'll be somewhere in Pisgah....15 miles from a road, or 600 ft from the ground, or somewhere in upstate New Jersey, or in Arizona, or Pennsylvania, or Georgia, or Huaraz, Peru, or Alaska..with those that have stood by me in the past, and those that I've met and benefited from this year in all things trail related, rope related, heart related, and life. Its been a very educational year. Its been a fun year of racing. My results mean a lot to me. The experience means more.